


Aussies Rule!

by merry_amelie



Series: Academic Arcadia [267]
Category: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Genre: Alternate Reality, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-10 21:33:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12920691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merry_amelie/pseuds/merry_amelie
Summary: Our lads celebrate marriage equality coming to Australia.





	Aussies Rule!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [picavenger14](https://archiveofourown.org/users/picavenger14/gifts).



> Feedback: Is treasured at merryamelie@aol.com (or leave a comment).
> 
> Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.
> 
> For  
> My beta team: Emila-Wan and Carol  
> Mali Wane and Laura McEwan for posting to the Master Apprentice ML  
> Travis for posting to the Master Apprentice Archive on AO3   
> Alex for inspiring Arcadia 
> 
> Reference:  
> [Australian cuisine - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_cuisine)

November 14th

"Cheers, mate!" Ian said jauntily, as he clinked his pint of Foster's with Quinn's. He took a long pull of his ale and let out a happy sigh.

"Cheers!" Quinn echoed and took his own first sip. "Y'know, you'd make a pretty convincing Aussie with that accent. Feels like we're in downtown Canberra just about now."

Ian grinned in delight. "Thanks, Quinn. Glad I got it right." He'd already mastered Irish and British accents, and his love of language made him eager to perfect others.

Quinn noticed that his lad had gotten some foam on his upper lip. No matter how many years went by, he could never ignore such a provocative sight when they were by themselves, so he leaned over to lick it off. This inevitably Fostered a spirited kiss.

It was 6:32 pm on an unseasonably warm Tuesday, the 10th week of the fall semester. The men had just finished washing the dinner dishes and were sitting on the couch in the living room. They didn't have their feet up on the recliner yet, so it would be easier to drink their ale. Artoo and Sandy were staying overnight at Case and Billie's for a sleepover with their puppy. Quinn threw Artoo's chew toy of BB-8 off the empty sofa cushion beside him with an indulgent smile. Ian had turned on the TV and flipped to the nightly newscast, eager to find out the results of a plebiscite on equal marriage in Australia, which they had been tracking for months now.

Wonderful news! Marriage equality had just won in a landslide.

They put their mugs down on the side table to high-five one another. Then they got up and grabbed each other for an impromptu dance around the living room, done in their usual high-energy style.

"This could almost be a new kata for us," Quinn said, twirling his laddie with aplomb and remembering to side-step BB-8, who, being made of cloth, was thankfully unable to roll.

"Master Yodama would certainly get a kick out of it. Doin' the Kangaroo Hop," Ian teased into Quinn's ear.

Quinn smiled as he teased back, "But I'm the kangaroo, Ian. Just look at me." He gave a leisurely stretch to his full height as he danced, gratified by the gleam in Ian's eyes. "You're a wee bit more suited to be a wallaby, my little lad." The wallaby was, indeed, a smaller marsupial than the kangaroo. Ian obligingly burrowed into his arms, and Quinn was delighted to hear his husband's groan, since he himself had groaned so much thanks to Ian's puns through the years.

The men were savoring the victory even more than they had savored their ale. The numbers were heartening in the postal-vote survey -- 61.6% had voted in favor of equal marriage, while only 38.4% had voted against it. Prime Minister Turnbull called the results 'overwhelming'. Now, a bill would be introduced in Parliament, and Turnbull said that he was aiming for marriage equality by this Christmas. What a marvelous present!

After almost ten minutes of dancing, they sat back down on the couch to continue their celebration, with Quinn cradling his husband in his arms. They probably would have fallen asleep, if not for their excitement.

"I know the polls predicted it, but y'can never count on them to be right," Ian said, leaning back into the pillowy cotton of Quinn's Aran pullover.

"Too true, m'lad." Quinn nodded into soft copper spikes. "I'm so relieved," he said with a smile.

"Tomorrow night, let's have a feast fit for Melbourne with Aussie meat pies for dinner," said Ian with a very hobbit-like grin on his face. "Trader Watton has them on special this week."

Quinn said, "But remember, Watton's doesn't take credit cards, so we can't use your MasterGuard."

"Such an inconvenience," pouted Ian. "Too bad Watton's has exactly what we want."

Quinn nodded. "And while we're there, don't forget the Pavlova for dessert," he added, referring to a meringue named for the famous ballerina, which was all but an Australian national delicacy.

"No need to get it there," Ian said. "Violet told me on Saturday that she's bringing over her chocolate-meringue pie tomorrow night when we play Scrabble with her and Prudence. Let's make it Aussie-style by putting some raspberries and blueberries on top."

"And don't forget the vanilla whipped cream," said Quinn, all but tasting it already.

"As if the tallest hobbit in recorded history would ever forget the cream," Ian said, relishing the innuendo.

"Not a chance," agreed Quinn. "But *you* keep forgetting that I also have a vibrant wizard and Ent heritage."

"Ent that so?" Ian looked at him appreciatively from tip to toe, the longest journey, as E.M. Forster, one of their favorite writers, would say. "Don't know how I could ever have overlooked that."

"Neither do I." Quinn's stomach started rumbling to match his voice, which brought a chuckle from both of them. "Guess I need dessert tonight, as well as tomorrow, especially with Prudence's pumpkin cupcakes in the pantry, just waiting to be eaten."

"Mmmmm," Ian said, "and speaking of food, we still have that gift certificate for Outback your folks gave us for our anniversary last month." The Mastersons knew how much their boys loved the horseradish-crusted filet mignon there. It was worth driving all the way to Danton to taste it.

Quinn was thinking of that very steak dish right now. "Let's go this weekend."

Ian said, "We might as well go all out afterwards and watch 'Moulin Rouge' for the seventh time." Nicole Kidman, who played Satine, was a favorite Aussie actress of theirs. They were delighted when she added her name to the list of luminaries who championed marriage equality.

They would never forget seeing the film for the first time together on their cruise to Charlotte Amalie, back in 2004. There was something magical about it for both of them.

"Christian is one of my favorite characters," Quinn said. "I admire his romantic spirit. 'The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return'," he quoted from the movie.

"Beautiful!" Ian sighed and reached up for a kiss, infused with the delicious taste of Foster's.

"And what about adding some literary spice, as well? Would you like me to read you the first chapter of 'A Town Like Alice'?" asked Quinn. Nevil Shute was one of his father's favorite writers, and Quinn had been reading his books since he was in junior high school.

"Oh, yes." Ian beamed at him. "Now that sounds like my favorite celebration of all." He snuggled even deeper into Quinn's arms.

The telephone on the side table rang, and Ian answered it, knowing that their family and friends would probably be calling to congratulate them. He was right -- it turned out to be his cousin, Amy Dahlia Paddington, who was born in Queensland, Australia. She was married to Danny Walker, who'd gotten his Ph.D. at Luke, with Quinn as his advisor.

Her exuberant cheers were so loud, Quinn could hear them, too.

"Congratulations, fellas! I'm raising a glass of sparkling wine to you right now." Amy said. She and Danny had toasted each other with Peter Rumball Sparkling Shiraz just before the phone call. "You've probably heard that Turnbull's calling for marriage equality in all of Australia by Christmastime."

Ian's grin grew even wider at her enthusiasm. "Yes, we just heard the news. And we're celebrating with Foster's." He chatted with Amy and Danny for a couple of minutes, then handed the phone to Quinn.

Quinn continued the conversation, while Ian sipped his ale. After he hung up, he said, "Sounds like they're thriving over at Mossley."

"Oh, yes, it was a good move for both of them. I'm looking forward to catching up with them more at our holiday party." 

Quinn nodded. "So am I. It was sweet of them to think of us today."

"Yeah, Amy's an angel," said Ian. "She's been frustrated by the slow pace of the legislation, just like us, when the majority of Aussies have been behind equality for years now."

Quinn nodded. "They didn't even need this survey; they could have passed it in a conscience vote in Parliament ages ago."

"That would've been too easy," said Ian wryly. "Why do something fast and efficient when you can spend $122 million confirming what you already know?" That was the cost of the postal survey to Aussie taxpayers.

Left unsaid, since it was too painful to talk about, was all the good that money could have done for those in need. Not to mention that human rights should never have been put to a vote to begin with. But at least the survey had achieved one important victory -- it showed conclusively that the country was in favor of equal marriage, just like Ireland before it.

November 28th

The two weeks since the vote in Australia flew by for the professors, because the semester was barreling towards final-exam time in less than a month.

Here they were at almost 10 pm, back on their couch in front of the TV, watching more good news come in. The Australian Senate had just passed a marriage-equality bill for the first time by a vote of 43-12 on its third reading. The bill's opponents had been fighting to add exceptions to the law, so that those who were against equal marriage would not have to recognize it. Fortunately, all attempts to add amendments failed, and the bill sailed through with no exemptions.

By most reports, the House of Representatives seemed poised to pass it next week, and that would clear the way for marriage equality in all of Australia by the end of 2017.

Amy had sent the professors a bottle of Bundaberg Rum in a beautiful wooden presentation case to celebrate the victory in the Senate, and Quinn's thank-you note said that she should have been a senator herself, what with her mastery of diplomacy. A high compliment, indeed, from a true master.

Ian got up to open the rum and poured two glasses, in an echo of their Foster's tribute to the postal-survey victory a couple of weeks earlier.

This time, Quinn raised his snifter first, with an Aussie "Cheers, mate!" ready on his tongue.

"Cheers!" Ian said in turn. "I can see that I'm not the only one who sounds like he hails from Canberra." He wasn't at all surprised; after all, he'd heard Quinn do a convincing Scottish accent, as well.

Quinn put his glass on the side table so he could give Ian a perfectly executed Jedi bow. "Or maybe Sydney. Thanks heaps!" he said, using a favorite Aussie turn of phrase.

Hearing his no-nonsense Quinn using that informal expression made Ian launch into peals of laughter. "Heaps! I love it!" he crowed. "Gotta use that with Monty. It'll be heaps of fun to see his face."

Quinn made a sound somewhere between a groan and a chuckle, which Ian had dubbed a 'gruckle' years ago. He picked up his snifter from the table and took a sip of rum. "Mmmmm. Amy knows her liquour. This couldn't be more mellow."

'Just like you tonight,' Ian thought, his eyes bright. "It's fantastic. I'm used to the Caribbean rums, and this is a refreshing change of pace."

They sat back to savor their rum, along with the Aussie victories. When they finally finished their tots, Quinn put both of their snifters on the side table, so he would have his hands free to embrace his husband.

"The best way to celebrate is always a kiss," said Ian, his eyes alight with the sheer joy of having his husband by his side, as well as the new joy of all the couples who would be able to marry because of the victory in Australia.

They melted into each other's arms, kissing like newlyweds themselves. The taste of the rum added an exotic spice to the kiss, but the most important ingredient was their love.


End file.
